Volunteering at a Mosque

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malikhind

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Hi, was wondering what your thoughts were on volunteering at a mosque are? Should I try to avoid putting it in my application since it deals with religious affairs? I would be holding donation boxes, helping elderly/disabled people get around, navigate parking etc...
 
I would put it on. I have most of my volunteering at a Church, but I can see how yours might be more controversial. You're still giving back to your community and I'm sure adcoms are more enlightened to not reject/stereotype you based on your religion and where you volunteer.
 
The school that I'm about to attend has a huge Middle Eastern, Persian, Pakistani, and Muslim body. I also think one of the school's admissions officers tends to favor those applicants due to the current (and also IMO unjustified) discrimination, assuming their grades, DAT, and community service hours suffice. PM me if you want more details.
 
malikhind said:
Hi, was wondering what your thoughts were on volunteering at a mosque are? Should I try to avoid putting it in my application since it deals with religious affairs? I would be holding donation boxes, helping elderly/disabled people get around, navigate parking etc...
Click to expand...

Any dental school that would hold volunteering at a Mosque against you isn't a school you want to attend in the first place.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
 
Don't do that.
We don't know the future. Be careful about what your write and what you associate yourself with.
Maybe one month from now, the mosque you volunteered at will be associated with some terrorist organization or someone in your mosque will do a stupid thing. How do you think that will look?

Hell, Maybe 3 years from now, there will be something similar to what happened to other races or religions.

I am talking about how the Nazi targeted the Jews and put them in camps, how the The united states put Japanese people in camps here.

You don't want to give them proofs to make it easy for them, do you?

I don't trust this world, I see a war coming, and bad things happening soon.

Don't be so trusty, wanna do volunteering, go now, volunteer at a shelter help a poor dog or a cat , and put the hours in your resume!

Remember, history always repeats itself.
 
Faefly said:
Don't do that.
We don't know the future. Be careful about what your write and what you associate yourself with.
Maybe one month from now, the mosque you volunteered at will be associated with some terrorist organization or someone in your mosque will do a stupid thing. How do you think that will look?

Hell, Maybe 3 years from now, there will be something similar to what happened to other races or religions.

I am talking about how the Nazi targeted the Jews and put them in camps, how the The united states put Japanese people in camps here.

You don't want to give them proofs to make it easy for them, do you?

I don't trust this world, I see a war coming, and bad things happening soon.

Don't be so trusty, wanna do volunteering, go now, volunteer at a shelter help a poor dog or a cat , and put the hours in your resume!

Remember, history always repeats itself.
Click to expand...

Please consider seeing a psychiatrist.
 
Faefly said:
Don't do that.
We don't know the future. Be careful about what your write and what you associate yourself with.
Maybe one month from now, the mosque you volunteered at will be associated with some terrorist organization or someone in your mosque will do a stupid thing. How do you think that will look?

Hell, Maybe 3 years from now, there will be something similar to what happened to other races or religions.

I am talking about how the Nazi targeted the Jews and put them in camps, how the The united states put Japanese people in camps here.

You don't want to give them proofs to make it easy for them, do you?

I don't trust this world, I see a war coming, and bad things happening soon.

Don't be so trusty, wanna do volunteering, go now, volunteer at a shelter help a poor dog or a cat , and put the hours in your resume!

Remember, history always repeats itself.
Click to expand...

With all due respect, what the hell are you even saying..
 
fantasy football pro said:
Please consider seeing a psychiatrist.
Click to expand...

You know the guy who discovered numbers were irrational was thrown into the sea by the phythagrions, they didn't want to believe his crazy talk and they threw him in the sea.

But I am not saying something new here; seems you are so focused on your work or study, that you don't know anything outside of your bubble.

Enjoy it there until it bursts, then you'll sure need a physiatrist more than I do.
 
Zen0321 said:
With all due respect, what the hell are you even saying..
Click to expand...

I am sorry was I not clear?

when the shooting happened in Florida, a year ago, didn't the FBI put the mosque that the killer attended under full investigation.
Now Imagine our Op saying he volunteered in such a mosque, would the admission committee see it and say oh, but he was not the killer.
No, they will see it and say oh maybe we should not accept him because who knows?

As for my other comments, didn't President Trump banned 7 countries from entering the United States based on their religions.
Didn't President Trump promise that he will ask Muslims to register so they are known as Muslims.
Didn't the whole world compare that to the beginning of the Nazi genocide against Jews? They too were asked to register their names, then later they were asked to wear tags.


Do you even watch the news?

All I am saying to OP, to be careful! You never know what happens in the future. Omitting this volunteer experience will not be the end of the world.
 
I would certainly include it as it shows involvement in your community etc.

But maybe when you write about it, perhaps focus more on it from a professional context (talking about the interactions, physical tasks you did etc). I'm pretty sure some of the comments in this thread are just fking with you, but if not then... lol
 
Faefly said:
I am sorry was I not clear?

when the shooting happened in Florida, a year ago, didn't the FBI put the mosque that the killer attended under full investigation.
Now Imagine our Op saying he volunteered in such a mosque, would the admission committee see it and say oh, but he was not the killer.
No, they will see it and say oh maybe we should not accept him because who knows?

As for my other comments, didn't President Trump banned 7 countries from entering the United States based on their religions.
Didn't President Trump promise that he will ask Muslims to register so they are known as Muslims.
Didn't the whole world compare that to the beginning of the Nazi genocide against Jews? They too were asked to register their names, then later they were asked to wear tags.


Do you even watch the news?

All I am saying to OP, to be careful! You never know what happens in the future. Omitting this volunteer experience will not be the end of the world.
Click to expand...
Trump's travel ban has been unsuccessful...it's been 6 months and it hasn't passed. Second of all, this is definitely not the same as the Holocaust lol. Finally, i don't remember that the people at that mosque on headlines...it only talked about the killer. I'm being realistic here. I don't want a fight here, but multiple muslims have been accepted to dental school here with that kind of activities. I am 99% sure that won't hurt your chances.
 
Faefly said:
I am sorry was I not clear?

when the shooting happened in Florida, a year ago, didn't the FBI put the mosque that the killer attended under full investigation.
Now Imagine our Op saying he volunteered in such a mosque, would the admission committee see it and say oh, but he was not the killer.
No, they will see it and say oh maybe we should not accept him because who knows?

As for my other comments, didn't President Trump banned 7 countries from entering the United States based on their religions.
Didn't President Trump promise that he will ask Muslims to register so they are known as Muslims.
Didn't the whole world compare that to the beginning of the Nazi genocide against Jews? They too were asked to register their names, then later they were asked to wear tags.


Do you even watch the news?

All I am saying to OP, to be careful! You never know what happens in the future. Omitting this volunteer experience will not be the end of the world.
Click to expand...

Just because we have a simple-minded president who can't come up with a single nuanced thought in his life does not mean admission committees and other people you are likely to interact with in the dental community (and society in general) are going to be that stupid.

This is dumb paranoia at best, and poorly done intentional brainwashing at the worst.

Edit: just to add, the president (both historically and with our current one) promises a lot of things. As we have seen, very few actually happen.
 
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Faefly said:
I am sorry was I not clear?

when the shooting happened in Florida, a year ago, didn't the FBI put the mosque that the killer attended under full investigation.
Now Imagine our Op saying he volunteered in such a mosque, would the admission committee see it and say oh, but he was not the killer.
No, they will see it and say oh maybe we should not accept him because who knows?

As for my other comments, didn't President Trump banned 7 countries from entering the United States based on their religions.
Didn't President Trump promise that he will ask Muslims to register so they are known as Muslims.
Didn't the whole world compare that to the beginning of the Nazi genocide against Jews? They too were asked to register their names, then later they were asked to wear tags.


Do you even watch the news?

All I am saying to OP, to be careful! You never know what happens in the future. Omitting this volunteer experience will not be the end of the world.
Click to expand...


Do YOU watch the news? His ban was unsuccessful. As a Muslim by blood I know damn well of the problems happening in the world. So before you start fearmongering and spread paranoia, make sure your facts are correct.
 
redhotchiligochu said:
The school that I'm about to attend has a huge Middle Eastern, Persian, Pakistani, and Muslim body. I also think one of the school's admissions officers tends to favor those applicants due to the current (and also IMO unjustified) discrimination, assuming their grades, DAT, and community service hours suffice. PM me if you want more details.
Click to expand...
What schools are you referring to?
 
Alright guys, let's just focus on the issues here. There is always the chance of being associated with an organization that does something dumb even though when you did work with them it was before the incident. That shouldn't stop someone from doing good works and helping people. Honestly, what the heck are the chances of something like this happening? Quite small. A person is judged on their individual actions.

OP, you will be fine. Just keep doing good works and stay committed to your causes.
 
kobeshaq5 said:
Trump's travel ban has been unsuccessful...it's been 6 months and it hasn't passed. Second of all, this is definitely not the same as the Holocaust lol. Finally, i don't remember that the people at that mosque on headlines...it only talked about the killer. I'm being realistic here. I don't want a fight here, but multiple muslims have been accepted to dental school here with that kind of activities. I am 99% sure that won't hurt your chances.
Click to expand...

http://lawofficer.com/investigations/investigation-blocked-into-killers-mosque-in-orlando/

Here you have it!

Who is fighting here? I was not fighting.

Did I say he won't get accepted because of his faith? Where did I even mention that! I talked about the risk, if there wasn't any risk, he would not have been asking this question.

Dental schools are full of people from different cultures and background, it is illegal for them to discriminate.

Finally, of course, it is not the same as the Holocaust, but before the Holocaust, what did Hitler do?

Did he just wake up one day and decided to kill his people?

It happened in steps.
 
Faefly said:
http://lawofficer.com/investigations/investigation-blocked-into-killers-mosque-in-orlando/

Here you have it!

Who is fighting here? I was not fighting.

Did I say he won't get accepted because of his faith? Where did I even mention that! I talked about the risk, if there wasn't any risk, he would not have been asking this question.

Dental schools are full of people from different cultures and background, it is illegal for them to discriminate.

Finally, of course, it is not the same as the Holocaust, but before the Holocaust, what did Hitler do?

Did he just wake up one day and decided to kill his people?

It happened in steps.
Click to expand...


Bruh, Chill out.
 
Zen0321 said:
Do YOU watch the news? His ban was unsuccessful. As a Muslim by blood I know damn well of the problems happening in the world. So before you start fearmongering and spread paranoia, make sure your facts are correct.
Click to expand...

Did I say his ban was not successful?
I said he did ban countries based on religion.

Seriously, you are making this a big of a deal.

when you sleep at night, do you close the door of your house even though you live in a safe place.

But then if your friend suggested you put an extra lock, you call him paranoid instead of being extra cautious.

You just want to feel safe yourself by calling him paranoid or crazy or whatever insult there is in the world.

Next thing I'll hear. I am a conspiracy theorist because I said hey op, don't do it!
 
Faefly said:
http://lawofficer.com/investigations/investigation-blocked-into-killers-mosque-in-orlando/

Here you have it!

Who is fighting here? I was not fighting.

Did I say he won't get accepted because of his faith? Where did I even mention that! I talked about the risk, if there wasn't any risk, he would not have been asking this question.

Dental schools are full of people from different cultures and background, it is illegal for them to discriminate.

Finally, of course, it is not the same as the Holocaust, but before the Holocaust, what did Hitler do?

Did he just wake up one day and decided to kill his people?

It happened in steps.
Click to expand...

Two things man. Trump is not Hitler...we are the USA. Secondly, mentioning something on your application doesn't matter. You said his faith is not a factor in getting in but there is a risk if something happens at his mosque. I am here to say that the FBI knows everything dude...they don't need something on AADSAS or TMDSAS app to find out about them lol
 
kobeshaq5 said:
Two things man. Trump is not Hitler...we are the USA. Secondly, mentioning something on your application doesn't matter. You said his faith is not a factor in getting in but there is a risk if something happens at his mosque. I am here to say that the FBI knows everything dude...they don't need something on AADSAS or TMDSAS app to find out about them lol
Click to expand...
Lol "we are the USA" . That's a great counter argument to what @Faefly said (sarcasm). What he said about what's going on around us is actually closer to pre-holocaust times because we constantly hear about muslims in a bad light in the news, government, and the media. Otherwise, I'm with everyone else, just relax 🙂
 
Last edited by a moderator:
BioTic said:
Lol "we are the USA" . That's a great counter argument to what @Faefly said :wtf:. What he said about what's going on around us is actually closer to pre-holocaust times because we constantly hear about muslims in a bad light in the news, government, and the media. Plus, no one can argue that isn't happening because the fact that OP even asked the question means it is. I just wanted to say that one thing Faefly said is actually pretty accurate, and if you don't notice that, then you must be living on a different planet. Otherwise, I'm with everyone else, just relax 🙂
Click to expand...

Sure, get rid of the part of "we are the USA". BUT Faefly is not accurate about Trump's travel ban...it has been very unsuccessful. That's why it has been six months and it has not been passed. what Trump says is mostly supported in areas of rural/ some suburbans. In the metros, WHERE 95% of the schools are located, it does not matter. I am countering one thing Faefly is saying. He said "Dental schools are full of people from different cultures and background, it is illegal for them to discriminate." Then why does putting mosques affect his choices? Hitler's main motive was not only targeted at Jews but also disabled people (autism, handicapped, elderly, etc). He wanted to create an Aryan race...do you think Trump is trying to do that? But yes, I am cool with chilling about it.

But at the OP, I would most definitely put mosque volunteering or any other islamic related activity you did on your application. You do not need to hide something that you are or that you did. Especially, if it was not wrong. Just my input.
 
Faefly said:
Don't do that.
We don't know the future. Be careful about what your write and what you associate yourself with.
Maybe one month from now, the mosque you volunteered at will be associated with some terrorist organization or someone in your mosque will do a stupid thing. How do you think that will look?

Hell, Maybe 3 years from now, there will be something similar to what happened to other races or religions.

I am talking about how the Nazi targeted the Jews and put them in camps, how the The united states put Japanese people in camps here.

You don't want to give them proofs to make it easy for them, do you?

I don't trust this world, I see a war coming, and bad things happening soon.

Don't be so trusty, wanna do volunteering, go now, volunteer at a shelter help a poor dog or a cat , and put the hours in your resume!

Remember, history always repeats itself.
Click to expand...

Faefly said:
when the shooting happened in Florida, a year ago, didn't the FBI put the mosque that the killer attended under full investigation.
Now Imagine our Op saying he volunteered in such a mosque, would the admission committee see it and say oh, but he was not the killer.
No, they will see it and say oh maybe we should not accept him because who knows?
Click to expand...

Purple text?

Regardless of whether or not the mosque were to be associated with terrorism, it doesn't change the fact that the OP simply volunteered and did kind things for people there. It's silly to omit an important part of an application based on a very hypothetical situation. Volunteering shows commitment to helping others without the desire for financial gain. There are many mosques in the United States - the likelihood of this one having problems, let alone affecting the OP, is low.

Admissions committees are made up of intelligent and accomplished people - I have faith (no pun intended) that they are rational and won't associate the OP with terrorism. I'm by no means an apologist for radical Islam, but a thread like this shouldn't even have to go down that line of discussion.
 
Last edited by a moderator:
kobeshaq5 said:
Sure, get rid of the part of "we are the USA". BUT Faefly is not accurate about Trump's travel ban...it has been very unsuccessful. That's why it has been six months and it has not been passed. what Trump says is mostly supported in areas of rural/ some suburbans. In the metros, WHERE 95% of the schools are located, it does not matter. I am countering one thing Faefly is saying. He said "Dental schools are full of people from different cultures and background, it is illegal for them to discriminate." Then why does putting mosques affect his choices? Hitler's main motive was not only targeted at Jews but also disabled people (autism, handicapped, elderly, etc). He wanted to create an Aryan race...do you think Trump is trying to do that? But yes, I am cool with chilling about it.

But at the OP, I would most definitely put mosque volunteering or any other islamic related activity you did on your application. You do not need to hide something that you are or that you did. Especially, if it was not wrong. Just my input.
Click to expand...
I only said he was right about that one thing. Trump isn't creating an aryan race, but it's pretty obvious him and muslims are no bueno lol. I don't think Trump is Hitler either obviously, I'm just saying muslims can be comparable to jews pre-holocaust based on what's happening around us.
 
BioTic said:
I only said he was right about that one thing. Trump isn't creating an aryan race, but it's pretty obvious him and muslims are no bueno lol. I don't think Trump is Hitler either obviously, I'm just saying muslims can be comparable to jews pre-holocaust based on what's happening around us.
Click to expand...

Hitler created pre-times before the Holocaust. You are saying it is similar right now. Trump is causing the muslims to be in a position like the pre-holocaust. If a=b, b=c, then a=c. You are saying trump is basically hitler... but okay :smack:
 
kobeshaq5 said:
Hitler created pre-times before the Holocaust. You are saying it is similar right now. Trump is causing the muslims to be in a position like the pre-holocaust. If a=b, b=c, then a=c. You are saying trump is basically hitler... but okay :smack:
Click to expand...
lol I can't. I guess I should have expected less from someone who used "this is the USA" as a counter argument.

I said muslims are comparable to jews pre-holocaust.This has been the case for the past decade and not when Trump was elected big guy. Trump did not create this condition, Trump isn't creating an Aryan race, Trump isn't targeting handicapped people, Trump isn't throwing muslims in ovens. So maybe, just maybe, that's why I think Trump isn't Hitler lol. You're the one who related Trump to Hitler, or tried to make a connection when you responded. All I said the condition of muslims is comparable to jews pre-holocaust.

Also just because A is like B to one degree does not mean A=B. For example, I like eating cookies. A serial killer likes eating cookies. Therefore, i am serial killer based on your reasoning lol. I'm just going to leave this thread now, clearly it isn't benefitting anyone.
 
Yeah ignore the ridiculously stupid comments telling you to leave it off.

It could only be seen as a positive, I would mention it for sure.

As a side note, I'm impressed that some of the people who are intelligent enough to be interviewed and accepted by dental schools aren't intelligent enough to realize that the actions of extremists using a religion to justify their actions in no way, shape, or form represents the actual followers of that religion.
 
schmoob said:
This is not the place to discuss religion or politics. If the derailing posts continue, this thread will be closed.
Click to expand...
I don't think this diarrhea is even worthy of being labelled a discussion of religion/politics.
stoopidmonkeycatdog said:
As a side note, I'm impressed that some of the people who are intelligent enough to be interviewed and accepted by dental schools aren't intelligent enough to realize that the actions of extremists using a religion to justify their actions in no way, shape, or form represents the actual followers of that religion.
Click to expand...
Don't mistake intelligent people for educated ones. This is the same forum where the general advice for pre-dental education is to take the easiest classes at the lowest quality institutions to maximize GPA. (The sad thing is, it's not even wrong.) That's why people in our profession don't know how to read, write, or apply logic.
 
I would suggest not to take a risk by mentioning volunteer hours at mosque. You never know who is going to read your application or who is going to interview you. You will regret afterward if you end up not getting enough interviews. There are so many other volunteer opportunities available. Don't be naive by thinking this world is utopia. Be practical.
 
WOW, who knew my first comment would have started an argument.

MickeyMouse45 said:
I would suggest not to take a risk by mentioning volunteer hours at mosque. You never know who is going to read your application or who is going to interview you. You will regret afterward if you end up not getting enough interviews. There are so many other volunteer opportunities available. Don't be naive by thinking this world is utopia. Be practical.
Click to expand...

This is what I basically was thinking. Some people might see it as a positive thing, some people might see it as a negative, and some people might be indifferent about it. Why do you want to risk it and have your application read by someone who views it in a negative light? Pick something where everyone would agree about it.

You are in doubt and that's why you asked this option. So even you know that it might hinder your chances.
 
In order to not enrage our wonderful moderator @schmoob, I'm just gonna gonna ignore the pseudo polticians/religious philosophers in here and say this:

OP, volunteering at a mosque shows that you are not only part of a tight knit community, but that you also deeply care about the community enough to volunteer your time to help and improve it. This activity shows your social skills, your quality of empathy, and dedication to service. When you mention this activity in your AADSAS application, try to fit these qualities into the description of the activity as succinctly as you can.

I assure you, the admission committees of these dental schools not only come from communities that are highly urban and modern (most dental schools are found in big cities), but also these committee members aren't immature and brainwashed adults in their 20s who associate one bad apple in a group with a bad crate overall.

I'm not religious in any way whatsoever, but I seriously applaud you for the work you've done in your community and highly suggest you include it on your application. It's 2017, diversity is welcomed in the dental community, regardless of whether some extremists tell you it isn't.
 
It's not exactly immediate post 9/11 situation, but pretty close. We all try to behave civilized, but...
 
So i applied last year and didn't have any significant volunteer activities at mosque so i didn't mention anything in application. However in one of the school's secondary application there was a question about community you identify with and why, there i mentioned Muslim community and talked about daily congregational prayers, volunteering, charity etc. Although pretty late but i did get an interview offer from there which i turned down.
 
stoopidmonkeycatdog said:
Yeah ignore the ridiculously stupid comments telling you to leave it off.

It could only be seen as a positive, I would mention it for sure.

As a side note, I'm impressed that some of the people who are intelligent enough to be interviewed and accepted by dental schools aren't intelligent enough to realize that the actions of extremists using a religion to justify their actions in no way, shape, or form represents the actual followers of that religion.
Click to expand...
Thank you.

sadlife4ever said:
Listen. Let's be REAL here. There has been an attack every several months and they're always associated with Islam. So what does that tell you? Ask yourself, do you think it is wise to put that on your app? I'm not making any assumptions about these terrorist events but that doesn't mean the dental school selection committee won't. Let's not deny the fact that there is a risk here. It is up to you if you want to take that risk OP. If you want to listen these idealists (who think the world is an utopia) telling you everything will be fine then put it on your app. I'm trying to be real with you. Decision is up to you.


Sent from my iPhone using SDN mobile
Click to expand...
lol wow
ok lets be real. attacks associated with christian extremists and white supremacists within the past several months, shall we go ahead and let that tell us not to put specific activities with churches and such in the application? seriously many people on here need to think about what they say. if you for a split second link activities of innocent muslims with those terrorist events and associate it as risky when it comes to applications, you're part of the problem.
and oh my god to that person associating the florida mosque incident to the applicant, i have no words to be honest.

OP, i mentioned all my MSA activities, volunteering and leadership. focus on the kind, genuine, sincere things you did, you are an individual who helped your community and that deserves a place in your application. if someone in the admissions committee thinks otherwise then that school isn't a fit for you. as many on here said, the admissions will appreciate your community involvement. i understand why you're asking such a question, and i dont blame you with everything going and the hatred that has been on the rise, and thats why im commenting despite trying not to read most of these absurd comments. many people i know are terrified, but please do not let that affect your application, you will be a health professional one day and help many people out there and they will appreciate you.
 
There are Muslim Student Dental Associations (MSDA) at several colleges across the U.S. I think your experiences should be included.
 
I am muslim...while I never specifically used the word "mosque", i would use terms like community, religious center, prayer hall, etc...that combined with my name, information in my personal statement, and probably many other things were a dead give away that I was muslim and volunteered at a mosque. It's not a big deal at all
 
redhotchiligochu said:
The school that I'm about to attend has a huge Middle Eastern, Persian, Pakistani, and Muslim body. I also think one of the school's admissions officers tends to favor those applicants due to the current (and also IMO unjustified) discrimination, assuming their grades, DAT, and community service hours suffice. PM me if you want more details.
Click to expand...
redhotchiligochu said:
The school that I'm about to attend has a huge Middle Eastern, Persian, Pakistani, and Muslim body. I also think one of the school's admissions officers tends to favor those applicants due to the current (and also IMO unjustified) discrimination, assuming their grades, DAT, and community service hours suffice. PM me if you want more details.
Click to expand...
Hey, I’m sorry I know this is late, but what school were you talking about? Inshallah I’ll apply there lol.
 
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